Trophy: A Novel

By Steffan Jacobsen

This is the author's US debut. Originally published in Denmark, Trophy was a bestseller, selling over 45,000 copies; with rights sold to eight countries.

For fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell, and Steig Larson, a gripping Nordic thriller set in Denmark about a group of wealthy businesspeople who form a hunting club in which the prey is humans.

This is the first in a three-book series centered on two strong protagonists, Michael Sander, a private investigator with military training, and Lene Jensen, a brash, independent, female police investigator.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing
• Release date: Jul 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781628727883

Reviews for Trophy

[booklover915 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Steffen Jacobsen's "Trophy," translated from the Danish by Charlotte Barslund, is a work of fiction that keep us guessing until the final page. The premise is chilling: On March 25, 2011, a group of men hunt down a vacationing couple for sport in northern Norway. Unsurprisingly, the killers do not want their murderous activities to come to light. Elizabeth Caspersen-Behncke, a successful barrister who expects to inherit a fortune from her late father, has a personal reason for hiring security consultant Michael Sander. She wants him to track down the men responsible for organizing the aforementioned sadistic expedition. Sander accepts the job—it pays very well--but he may come to regret his decision.

Sander, who has a background in the military and law enforcement, is overconfident about his ability to handle this case. With a loving wife and two small children at home, he has a great deal to lose if his adversaries outwit him. As it turns out, there is another individual, Superintendent Lene Jensen of the Danish police, who is working on this investigation. Lene is tough, determined, and intelligent but, like Michael, is used to working alone. Ultimately, Michael and Lene team up to conduct a hunt of their own, but will they end up being the predators or the prey?

Jacobsen is a competent writer who nicely depicts the fjords, rivers, and wild terrain that serve a backdrop for some of the more horrifying action scenes. The violence is off the charts, since most of the villains are unencumbered by pity or morality. This is a briskly paced and gripping story, with a spirited hero and heroine, and a final surprise that demonstrates just how depraved human beings can be. It is too bad that the implausible plot requires such an enormous suspension of disbelief. For example, one would expect that people who are tortured by psychotic assailants would need some time to bounce back from their injuries. Still, this imaginative study of good vs. evil should appeal to fans of edgy, suspenseful, and intense thrillers.